This disclosure generally relates to methods and apparatus for cooling electric or electronic components using one or more dielectric heat transfer fluids and, more specifically, to methods and apparatus for distributing electrical power into an immersion tank.
Conventional electronic components are designed to operate over a specified temperature range with upper limits generally below 70 deg. C. for commercial grade, 85 deg. C. for industrial grade, or 125 deg. C. for military grade; therefore, these components may require cooling such that their internal temperature remains below these upper limits. The cooling can be performed, among other ways, by the vaporization of a dielectric heat transfer fluid, such as perfluorocarbons, fluoroketones, or hydrofluoroethers. Depending on its composition, the dielectric heat transfer fluid may have a boiling temperature at atmospheric pressure that may range from approximately 35 deg. C. to approximately 100 deg. C., such that the boiling temperature at atmospheric pressure is lower than the upper limits at which conventional electronic components are designed to operate. The electronic components are immersed in the dielectric heat transfer fluid in liquid phase. When the surfaces of electronic components in contact with the dielectric heat transfer fluid reach the boiling temperature of the dielectric heat transfer fluid, the dielectric heat transfer fluid located nearby will vaporize, therefore absorbing heat from the electronic components.
Known two-phase cooling systems are described in U.S. Pat. Appl. Pub. No. 2014/0218858. In such a system, power distribution units may be located inside immersion cooling tanks, and below a surface level of the dielectric fluid in the liquid phase. Each of the power distribution units can provide electrical power to the various electronic devices and/or components within the immersion cooling tanks via power cables extending from the power distribution unit to a single connector provided on a single server rack, and each rack may contain multiple servers.
Usually, a single harness connects each board of a server to a power source. For example, a single harness would basically connect all of the connectors of a single board to a power source, which usually includes a single voltage converter. However, in configurations where a single harness connects all of the connectors of a single board to a power source, the harness configuration may become bulky and may prevent suitable circulation of the dielectric heat transfer fluid (in vapor phase or liquid phase) in the immersion cooling tanks.
Thus, there is a continuing need in the art for improved two-phase immersion cooling systems and methods, where the harness configuration preferably reduces the number of harnesses for a given number of boards, is preferably compact to facilitate a sufficient circulation of the of dielectric heat transfer fluid, and optionally draws current from voltage converters assembled in parallel.